Apparatus for turning and aligning of workpieces



United States Patent [72] Inventor Oskar Wellauer Wiesenstrasse 27,Kusnacht, Zurich, Switzerland [21 Appl. No. 738,047

[22] Filed June 18, 1968 [45] Patented Nov. 17, 1970 [32] Priority June22, 1967 [3 3 Austria [3 l No. A5804/67 [54] APPARATUS FORTURNING ANDALIGNING OF WORKPIECES 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 198/33. [51] Int. Cl 865g 47/24 [50] Field ofSearchl98/33(R2), 103, 34; 214/1R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS2,709,513 5/1955 Weber ..l98/33(R2)UX Primary Examiner-Edward A. SrokaAttorney- Kemon, Palmer and Estabrook ABSTRACT: Apparatus for turningand aligning of workpieces, particularly for incorporation into aproduction line including wood working machines for working woodenpanels along the side edges thereof comprises a conveyer track formed bytwo successively arranged belt conveyer sections, a turning devicearranged at one side of the conveyer track and provided with stopmembers and with clamping means for the workpieces fed by one of theconveyer sections to the turning devices to be rotated through 90 andthen moved along in aligned position by the other conveyer section.

Patented Nov. 17, 1970 3,540,568

Sheet 1 of 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 17, 1970 Sheet APPARATUS FOR TURNING AND ALIGNING OFWORKPIECES' The present invention relates to apparatus for turning andaligning of workpieces of the kind comprising a conveyer track, aturning device cooperating with'the conveyer track and stop members forthe work pieces.

The apparatus is particularly intended to form a portion of a productionline, i.e. the portion of a production line between two operatingstations, between which a workpiece must be turned through 90.

A particular field of application of the apparatus according to theinvention is a production line'including wood-working machines on whichwood panels and the like shall be worked for example on all four edges.

Known production lines of this kind are not equipped with turningdevices. Nevertheless, in order to work the continuously travelling woodpanels on several sides, the conveyer tracks have been arranged along anangular path. An important disadvantage of such arrangements is therequired considerable space, not to mention that a non rectilinearproduction line does not permit an economical operation. Furthermore,such non linear production lines require special workpiece alignmentmeans which, if they are to operate in reliable manner, are extremelycomplicated.

ln existing apparatus for turning of workpieces the turning device wasalways located in the middle of the conveyer track. In such anarrangement the exact alignment of the workpieces was a difficultproblem and required complicated equipment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus forturning and aligning of workpieces which avoids the inconveniences ofknown apparatus.

In the apparatus according to the invention comprising a conveyer track,a turning device cooperating with the track and stop members for theworkpieces, the turning device is arranged laterally on the conveyertrack.

This simple disposition permits the establishment of rectilinearproduction lines on which the workpieces are guided along a laterallyextending line and can be aligned on this line.

The turning device conveniently is formed as a rotary plate with aclamping mechanism for the workpieces. The stops 7 preferably are fixedto the turntable and are adjustable in longitudinal direction.

The apparatus may be automatically operated by means of suitablypositioned switches.

An embodiment'of the apparatus according to. the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

HO. 1 is a perspective view of apparatus for turning and aligningworkpieces suitable for incorporation in a production line comprisingwood working machines.

FIG. 2 is a plan view on the apparatus according to FIG. 1, incorporatedbetween two machines for working the side edges ofa wood panel.

The apparatus for, turning and aligning workpieces, for example woodpanels, shown in FIG. 1, comprises essentialy a two-piece conveyer trackla, 1b and a turning device 2 having stops 3, 4, 5 and 6.

The two parts la, 1b of the conveyer track are disposed in a frame 8supported on the floor by legs 7, and comprise a plurality of belts 9and 10, respectively, disposed side by side and driven in the directionof the marked arrow, aswell as a plurality of rolls or ballslll'arranged on different radii around the centre 0 of the turningdevice 2.

For transporting a workpiece in the direction of the arrow, this pieceis supported by the belts 9 or 10 without touching the rolls l1. lf,however, a workpiece has to be turned, the continuously travelling belts9 and 10 are lowered until the workpiece comes to rest on the rolls 11.

The turning device 2 comprises a lower rotary plate 13 on which the stoparms 3, 4,5 and 6 are radially mounted at a 90 displacement, and anupper plate 14 which may reciprocate relative to the lower platevertically along the rotation axis of the plates l3, 14. When aworkpiece moving along the conveyer track abuts against the stop arms 3and 4, the plate 14 which is sufficiently spaced above the plate 13 ismoved downwardly. until the workpiece will be firmly clamped between thetwo plates. Then the turning device 2 is rotated through conveniently bymeans of a step by step mechanism or indexing switch, then the plate 14automatically moves upwards again and releases the clamping, whereafterthe belts 10 of the conveyer track portion 1b driven in the direction ofthe arrow, are lifted, the workpiece which is exactly aligned, istransported further on and arrives'at thenext following operatingstation.

The arms 3, 4, 5 and 6 are telescoped, i.e. their length can be adjustedin order to serve as efficient stops for workpieces of all sizes.

The operation of the apparatus is effected by several electromotors (notshown), all operating cycles being exactly synchronized. The clampingdevice for the workpieces (plates 13 and 14) may be hydraulicallyoperated, but also an elec- The described apparatus operates as follows:It is supposed that a workpiece in the form of a plate to be worked onall sides is discharged by the operating station 20, for example'amilling machine and arrives on the conveyer track 1a The workpiece willbe advanced by means of the conveyer belts 9 driven continuously in thedirection of the arrow and will abut against the stops 3 and 4. Uponarrival on the stop 4, a limit switch 25 is actuated and releases thefollowing operations:

a. the continuously moving belts 9 and 10 are lowered and the workpiececomes to rest on the balls or rolls ll, b. approximatively at the sametime the plate 14 is moved downwardly and clamps the workpiece betweenitself and the plate 13, v c. the turning device is indexed through 90by observing a suitable retardation time, d. after rotation of theworkpiece through 90 the clamping action is automatically eliminated,i.e. the plate 14 moves upwardly and the belts 9 and 10 are again liftedand move position already during the progress of the rotating movementof the workpiece by means of the device 2.

Obviously, also the stop arms 5, 6'and 3. are equipped with controlswitches 22,23, 24 and'25.

The described apparatus permits transportation of a workpiece from onemachine 20 to a second machine 21,- to turn the workpiece through 90between these stations and to have it always aligned with'a A-A(extension 'of the stop arms 3 and 5, for example). i

Theindividual elements of the apparatus are well known to the expert anddo not require further explanation.

The clamping device can be provided with the turning table 13 only whichcan be equipped with suction elements connected to a vacuum pump inorder to retain the workpieces during rotation.

Instead of using telescopic stop arms, the stops for the workpiece canbe formed by elements of relatively small length fixed to the plate 13,to which elements extensions can be atbers for workpieces mounted on theturning device, said turning device being arranged laterally on theconveyor track for stepwise rotation through four 90 steps about avertical axis, said stop members being formed by straight arms extendingradially from the center of the turning device and being angularlyspaced 90 to one another, two of said arms, in each rest position of'theturning device, being aligned substantially with the side edge of theconveyor track on which the turning device is mounted, and another ofsaid arms, in the same position of the turning device, extending atright angles with respect to said side edge over at least part of saidconveyor track.

contact with workpieces to control operations of said apparatus.

